SUNSEEKER ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER WITH NEW OWNERS, CEO AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Sunseeker is entering a significant new phase of its history, with Cross Ocean Partners and Cheyne Capital becoming its long-term owners and Scott Millar preparing to take over as Chief Executive Officer. Alongside a strengthened executive team and investment in new products, the British yacht builder is positioning itself for its next stage of international growth.

The transition marks an important moment for Sunseeker, a company whose identity has been closely associated with British design, performance motor yachts and the craftsmanship of its Poole shipyard for more than five decades. The change in ownership comes alongside an enterprise-wide transformation spanning commercial strategy, operations, product development and technology.

Cross Ocean Partners and Cheyne Capital have formally completed the transfer of ownership, becoming Sunseeker’s long-term owners and shareholders. The new ownership structure is accompanied by a leadership reshuffle intended to support the company’s five-year growth strategy and broaden its capabilities across the business.

At the centre of that transition is Scott Millar, who is set to become Sunseeker’s new Chief Executive Officer. Millar originally joined the company through Teneo, where he was involved in developing its five-year strategic plan. His work brought him into close contact with Sunseeker’s leadership, products and operations before he decided to join the yacht manufacturer permanently.

He brings more than 27 years of experience in business transformation and operational improvement, including senior executive positions as both a chief executive and chief transformation officer across international industries. His appointment follows a period of strategic development led by Steve Timms, who served as Interim Chief Executive Officer during the ownership transition.

The new leadership structure extends beyond the CEO role. Sunseeker has appointed four additional senior figures whose backgrounds span automotive, premium consumer brands, manufacturing, technology and corporate transformation.

Andy Gawthorpe, the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer, joins with extensive experience in the automotive and motorcycle industries. His previous senior positions include Global Sales Director at Aston Martin and seven years with Triumph Motorcycles, where he contributed to a period of significant sales growth. At Sunseeker, he will oversee the company’s commercial strategy and international expansion.

Ian Morgan, appointed Chief Strategy Officer, brings almost two decades of experience in strategic transformation across automotive and premium consumer businesses. He was already involved in the development of Sunseeker’s new superyacht strategy and wider growth plan, placing him close to the thinking behind the company’s next phase before formally taking on the role.

Technology will be led by James Grove, who becomes Chief Information Officer. Grove has held senior technology positions at Chelsea FC and Southampton FC and has experience delivering large-scale digital and organisational transformation. His remit at Sunseeker will include the company’s wider digital transformation programme. In 2026, he was recognised as a HotTopics Global CIO 100 winner.

The executive team is completed by Adrian Mardell, who becomes Non-Executive Chairman. Mardell brings experience from a long career at Jaguar Land Rover, where he was involved in a period of substantial growth and transformation, with particular attention to customer and employee experience.

Together, these appointments represent a substantial expansion of Sunseeker’s senior leadership capabilities. The objective is not simply to introduce new management, but to bring together expertise across the areas that will determine how the company develops: product, technology, customer experience, commercial growth and operational performance.

That strategy is being supported by investment from the new shareholders. Sunseeker says an enterprise-wide transformation is already under way, covering commercial operations, products and manufacturing, alongside an ambitious programme of new product development intended to broaden and strengthen its yacht portfolio.

The timing is particularly relevant given the scale of Sunseeker’s existing operation. Founded in 1969 in Poole, Dorset, by brothers Robert and John Braithwaite, the company was originally known as Poole Power Boats. It adopted the name Sunseeker International in 1985 as it developed a more international identity and expanded its reach beyond Britain.

Its roots remain firmly connected to Poole. The company’s manufacturing base and Design & Technology Centre are located there, with the latter bringing together much of the yacht-development process, from initial concepts through to interior details, electrical systems and helm consoles. Sunseeker currently employs around 2,000 people and produces approximately 150 boats annually, with the vast majority exported.

That history has been shaped by an emphasis on performance-led design and close attention to how owners use their yachts. Early models established the company’s reputation in the sports and leisure market, while later collaborations and developments helped Sunseeker establish a stronger presence in the Mediterranean. Its Offshore 28, developed with designer Don Shead in the late 1970s, was among the projects that helped define this direction.

The contemporary range now extends across Performance, Yacht, Ocean and Superyacht categories. Recent developments have included the 134 Superyacht, unveiled at the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival, and the continued expansion of the Ocean range. Sunseeker has also introduced a revised global naming structure, grouping its models according to length and usage rather than the previous naming system based largely on gross tonnage.

The next stage of that product story is expected to receive a public introduction at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026, which takes place from 8 to 13 September at the Vieux Port in Cannes. Sunseeker has confirmed that it plans to present its latest yachts there, with the full line-up still to be announced. The company has also indicated that its new brand identity and several new product concepts will form part of the event.

Cannes is a fitting setting for such a reveal. The festival has long served as an important European showcase for yacht manufacturers, bringing together established owners, prospective buyers, designers and marine specialists. For Sunseeker, the 2026 edition is set to provide an early public view of how its new ownership and leadership strategy will translate into product and brand development.

The company’s ambitions extend beyond yacht design itself. Sunseeker has also placed increasing emphasis on innovation and sustainability within its manufacturing processes. Its stated approach includes exploring technologies and production practices intended to reduce environmental impact, while innovations such as its X-TEND™ system demonstrate the company’s continuing interest in adapting yacht architecture to changing expectations around onboard space and usability.

The new ownership structure therefore arrives at a moment when Sunseeker is balancing two distinct priorities: preserving the characteristics that have shaped its reputation since 1969 while investing in the capabilities required for a changing luxury marine market.

The challenge for Scott Millar and the expanded leadership team will be to translate that balance into tangible progress. A yacht brand with more than 50 years of heritage has considerable history to draw upon, but its future will ultimately be measured through the products it creates, the experiences it delivers and the strength of the organisation behind them.

For Sunseeker, the coming months should provide the clearest indication of how this new chapter will take shape. With new ownership, a new CEO, a strengthened executive team and a programme of product development already under way, the company is moving forward without leaving its Poole origins behind. The significance of the next chapter may lie precisely there: in how confidently a long-established British builder can evolve while keeping its sense of place, craft and purpose intact.